Smathers Beach in Key West Renourished
BY Les Neuhaus Citizen Staff
Fifteen to 30 trucks a day bring in fresh veneer of sand. Smathers Beach is recapturing some of its former good looks with a massive infusion of silicon.Key West city officials say the makeover — “renourishment” in beach-speak — consists of a fresh new veneer of lily-white sand, and has been a long time coming.
Tags: Beach
Heavy equipment staging for the project began on June 7, but it wasn’t until Thursday that crews began spreading 17,500 tons of sand to restore aspects of the popular man-made beach.
Mother Nature is responsible for the beach’s loss of luster, city spokeswoman Alyson Crean said.
“The Smathers Beach renourishment is a project to replenish sand that wears away over the years from storms and erosion,” Crean said. “It’s a $749,000 project with 50 percent grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The other 50 percent of the cost is split by the city and by a grant from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC).”
The TDC’s capital improvement fund helps sustain areas and resources that attract tourists to the Keys — such as beaches, she said.
“It’s been over seven years since the last full renourishment,” she said. “In the intervening years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has funded occasional berm repair projects after tropical storms.”
The project will continue through early July, said Janet K. Luce, the on-site inspector for Atkins Global, a London-based global engineering and design consulting firm that recently acquired the Tampa firm PBS&J.
“We provide construction oversight and permit compliance,” Luce said. “We have an environmental-services contract set up with the city of Key West.”
The project is moving west to east along the beach, which will remain open to the public, said Doug Bradshaw, senior project manager for the city’s Engineering Department. “There may be periodic closings of small sections of the beach for safety, but we’re trying to keep everything there operating normally.”
Between 15 and 30 trucks a day are bringing loads of sand to the beach, he said.
Beaches at Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys
by Barbara Ann Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels
I’d often driven by Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys, but had never stopped. During a recent trip to Key West, determined to rectify that oversight, I carved out a couple of days on the end of my trip, specifically for beach time.
Bahia Honda contains three separate beaches, each of which is completely different from the others. Caloosa Beach is tucked into a gentle cove at the foot of the old Overseas Railway trestle at the southern end of the park. A portion of the old bridge has been maintained as an elevated walkway that offers spectacular views of the beach and inlet. Caloosa is popular with families because restrooms, a snack bar, and ample parking are all located adjacent to the crescent.
At Loggerhead Beach, located in the center of the park, a submerged sandbar emerges at low tide. Sunbathers deposit coolers and perch folding chairs on these exposed sand hills and wade far out into the shallow aqua water to search for shells and sea glass. At low tide, the amazingly clear waters of Loggerhead Beach recede to reveal half a mile or more of sandbar flats.
Tags: florida keys beachesCategories: Bahia Honda Key, Beaches Tags: florida keys beaches
Key West Captain Cited With Illegal Possession of 60 Stone Crab Claws
The state wildlife agency confiscated 60 out-of-season stone crab claws from a Key West boat coming home at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, says the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The commercial fisherman and captain of the Maru was cited with illegal possession of the claws and interference with an FWC officer, both misdemeanors. He was issued a notice to appear in court.
The Maru was south of Key West, returning to port, when the captain apparently saw FWC Lt. Roy Payne approaching and made a sharp turn, speeding up, as the crew dumped overboard white trash bags of the claws.
The captain at first denied the crime, but after the officer found similar trash bags aboard, he and his mate allegedly admitted to it and wrote out confessions.
No tags for this post.Categories: Commercial Fishing, Key West, Stone Crab Tags:
More Lobster Mobsters Sentenced to Prison
By ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
Two Bay Point men were sentenced to a year in prison on charges that they conspired to poach lobster, a judge ruled Monday, closing the last chapter on two illegal lobster harvesting cases that snared eight people.
John Buckheim, 23, and Nick Demauro, 24, both apologized to federal Judge James Lawrence King, their friends, family and wildlife officers.
“I acknowledge and take full responsibility for what I did,” Buckheim said. “I was young and stupid and I’m not implying that I’m old or wise now, only that I’m heading in the right direction. … I’m sorry for this major mistake and you won’t find me in this position again.”
Demauro told the judge he had “taken everything for granted.”
Both men pleaded guilty in October to harvesting lobsters by diving on illegal artificial habitats, called casitas, primarily in the Content Keys area north of Big Pine Key, from July 2008 through October 2008, according to court documents.
The judge granted U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-Fitzgerald’s request to delay their prison sentence 100 days so both men can continue their work removing as many as 600 casitas from Florida Keys waters. The judge ordered both to surrender to corrections officials on May 12.
The judge also allowed both men to resume legal commercial fishing immediately upon their release from prison, despite the prosecutor’s recommendation that both be prohibited during the two years of supervision that is to follow their release.
Miami defense attorneys Bruce Alter and Steven Potolsky urged the judge to consider the defendants’ ages, their clean criminal histories and their desire to make amends as mitigating factors at sentencing, but the prosecutor was unmoved, painting the men as astute fishermen who knew the risks involved.
“These were not youths who stumbled into this,” the prosecutor told the judge, describing taped conversations between the two men, and the hundreds of casitas they fished.
Buckheim and Demauro worked for David and Denise Dreifort of Cudjoe Key at one time. The latter were sentenced in July for spearheading a large lobster poaching ring that involved four other people, in a separate but related case. David Dreifort was sentenced to 2¬½ years in prison in July. His wife was sentenced to seven months in prison. Prosecutors found thousands of lobsters at one of their homes on Lookdown Lane last year.
Buckheim and Demauro began their own illegal operation after their stint with the Dreiforts, and they sold lobster to a Stock Island seafood company in 32 separate incidents for a total of $45,974, records say. The company has not been charged in the case, the prosecutor said.
Both men were warned by David Dreifort to cease their operation after he was indicted, but they continued, the prosecutor said. Federal agents began visual and electronic surveillance of Buckheim and Demauro during the larger investigation that involved the Dreiforts, reports say.
Both pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement in which prosecutors dropped two charges that could have added at least 10 years to their sentences.
alinhardt@keysnews.com
Tags: Diving, Lobster, Lobster MobsterCategories: Commercial Fishing, Lobster, Lower Keys Tags: Diving, Lobster, Lobster Mobster
More Lower Keys Lobster Mobsters Arrested
Federal authorities arrested two Lower Keys commercial lobster divers Friday on charges of illegally harvesting more than 1,000 pounds of lobster worth at least $17,000.
John Buckheim and Nick Demauro, of 79 Palm Drive in the Saddlebunch Keys, were arrested by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration law enforcement agents. The pair are accused of sinking a boat to create an artificial habitat, known as a casita, south of Sammy’s Creek Bridge on Sugarloaf Key on Oct. 29, 2008, according to a federal indictment.
Prosecutors allege the poaching began in 2008 and continued into this year, reports say.
Both men are scheduled to appear in a Miami courthouse today.
The arrest comes a week before the start of the commercial lobster season.
Tags: Lobster, Lobster 2009, Lobster MobsterCategories: Commercial Fishing, Lobster, Lower Keys Tags: Lobster, Lobster 2009, Lobster Mobster
Lobster-poaching ring leader gets 2.5 years in federal pen
Admitted Lower Keys lobster poacher David Dreifort was sentenced Friday to two and a half years in prison, and his wife [Denise D. Dreifort] to seven months in jail, for leading what’s been called the Key’s largest lobster poaching operation ever. Their sentencings by U.S. District Court Judge Jose Martinez put the lid on a case the feds dubbed Operation Freezer Burn. According to evidence presented through pleadings, trial and other in-court statements, the six defendants in Operation Freezer Burn were directly involved in illegally taking 1,197 lobster on the opening day of Florida’s commercial lobster season in August 2008, and stockpiling approximately 1,700 pounds of wrung lobster tail harvested during the closed season. The operation was based out of Cudjoe Key.
In addition to prison, David Dreifert was ordered to serve three years of probation following his release, and is prohibited from fishing for five years in South Florida. [That's NOT long enough] His wife follows her jail time with seven months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, and is also banned from fishing South Florida waters for five years. The Dreiforts also forfeited to the U.S. government their three vehicles and three vessels, used in the lobster poaching operation. On June 11, Robert Hammer was sentenced to two months in jail, home confinement for six months with electronic monitoring, and supervised release for two years. In a parallel civil action, they were ordered to pay $1.1 million toward restoration of the marine sanctuary, including removing 700 casitas. The couple is expected to raise the money by selling their Cudjoe Key home and another property on Little Torch Key.
On June 10, Sean Reyngoudt was sentenced to home confinement for four months with electronic monitoring, four years of probation and 300 hours of community service. He’s banned from fishing South Florida waters for four years.
On June 2, Key Wester Michael Delph was sentenced to 10 months in jail, home confinement for six months with electronic monitoring, 100 hours of community service and supervised release for two years. Delph is the only one who went to trial. [This is the saddest case, local fishing legend's son.]
John Niles, the first to enter a guilty plea, cooperated in the case, and testified against Delph. He received a year of probation.
via Lobster-poaching ring leader gets 2.5 years in federal pen.
Tags: Lobster, Lobster 2009Categories: Commercial Fishing, Lobster, Lower Keys Tags: Lobster, Lobster 2009
Florida Keys Seafood Festival – Key West
The Keys celebrate the bounty of the sea — Florida lobster, yellowtail, sweet pink shrimp, grouper, stone crab claws and more — during the third annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 19. The event, at Key West’s Bayview Park at Truman Avenue and Eisenhower Drive, features music and children’s activities as well as such specialties as conch chowder and conch fritters. All the seafood available for purchase will be prepared by fishermen and their families. Admission is free. Proceeds benefit the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association and scholarships for college-bound children of commercial fishermen. Call 800-527-8539.
Categories: Commercial Fishing, Fishing, Florida Keys, Key West, Lobster Tags: Grouper, Lobster
Conquering the Quieter Side of Key West
No tags for this post.Categories: Florida Keys, Kayak, Key West, On the Water Tags:
General Cigar Announces Counterfeit COHIBA Cigars Seized in Key West
General Cigar announces that federal and Florida state law enforcement officials yesterday seized more than 3,000 counterfeit COHIBA cigars from seven tobacco retail stores located in prime tourist areas of Key West, Florida.
Individual cigars were sold at approximately $20 apiece. Based on current estimates, the approximate street value of goods seized was more than $60,000.
The counterfeit cigar seizures followed a lengthy investigation conducted in cooperation with General Cigar Company, which is the exclusive owner of the COHIBA trademark in the U.S. The lead law enforcement agency for yesterday’s seizures was the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, assisted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Florida Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Dan Carr, president of General Cigar said, “The seizure of counterfeit COHIBA cigars yesterday represents a clear victory in General Cigar’s fight to protect our cigar bands from counterfeiters and trademark infringers. We look forward to continuing to cooperate with federal and state law enforcement officials in Florida and have offered to assist in any prosecutions and future investigations.”
No tags for this post.Categories: Key West Tags:
Glenn Bennett Catches Potential All-Tackle Length Record Greater Amberjack in Key West
Philadelphia, PA, USA native Glenn Bennett recently took a trip to Key West, FL, USA with his daughter and IGFA record holder, Brielle Bennett, to do some record hunting with his brother Captain Brian Bennett. The trip produced three potential record fish for young Brielle, but Glenn also joined the fun with a 140 cm greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) that he landed on July 17, 2011. With the current record at 120 cm, Bennett’s fish qualifies for a new potential All-Tackle Length record as it was released after being photographed and measured.